Hard Working White Americans Hard at Work Making Life Miserable for Minorities
I’m cursing whoever brought up that damned phrase from election 2008 (I think it was Kay), but I think it is important to remember what was so god damned offensive about the phrase- the Clinton statements were made right before the primaries through a swath of Appalachia that included places like this:
A small Pike County church has voted not to accept interracial couples as members or let them take part in some worship activities.The decision has caused sharp reaction and disapproval in the Eastern Kentucky county.
“It’s not the spirit of the community in any way, shape or form,” Randy Johnson, president of the Pike County Ministerial Association, said of the vote.
The issue came up at the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, said Dean Harville, a longtime member who serves as church secretary and clerk.
Clinton made those statements because she wanted to scare primary voters who weren’t racist to vote for her because racist scumbags would keep a Democrat out of the WH in 2008. That’s what was so damned offensive about the remarks.
Another point- I’m betting almost everyone here, when they read about this church, thought to themselves “You have to be fucking kidding me. It’s 2012.” That’s good- you should be horrified by this. But you know what? Change “interracial” to “gay” and this goes on every single day somewhere in America, and not just backwater shit holes in Kentucky.
November 30, 2011 7:59 pm
Posted in: Gay Rights are Human Rights, Post-racial America
57 Comments
57 Responses
Jim, Foolish Literalist - November 30, 2011 | 8:03 pm · Link
INCOMING….....
cathyx - November 30, 2011 | 8:05 pm · Link
It’s acceptable to bash gays, oh, and fat people too.
The Moar You Know - November 30, 2011 | 8:07 pm · Link
I bust my ass making life hard for minorities. That is hard fucking work. Day in, day out, but the worst part is that no one even says “thank you”.
El Cid - November 30, 2011 | 8:08 pm · Link
Well, this should make for a nice thread.
sb - November 30, 2011 | 8:08 pm · Link
The vote passed 9-6, there are only 40 members in the church and according to the article “hundreds” of in the community disagree with the decision.
Seems to me the “backwater shithole” agrees with you more than you think, John. But I’m sure calling the place a backwater shithole helps. Or is it shit hole?
Litlebritdifrnt - November 30, 2011 | 8:08 pm · Link
My dear old Mum says to me at least once a week on the phone “it is a scary country Daughter, me and your sister worry about you living there” This on the week that my cousin Lucy is marrying her long time girlfriend. A proper wedding too, with invitations, a proper service, reception, gifts and guests. I am only sorry that I will miss it.
arguingwithsignposts - November 30, 2011 | 8:09 pm · Link
They do know their Jesus wasn’t really white, right?
Jenny - November 30, 2011 | 8:11 pm · Link
Obama having supper with hard working folk.
Amazingly, it’s the first time a president has ever visited Scranton.
http://img266.imageshack.us/im.....ranton.jpg
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0.....38;q=obama
JPL - November 30, 2011 | 8:12 pm · Link
@arguingwithsignposts: You jest…hahaha…
Jim, Foolish Literalist - November 30, 2011 | 8:13 pm · Link
@arguingwithsignposts: a few years ago, Newsweek IIRC had a cover with the headline “Is This The Face of Jesus?” A twenty-something Palestinian kid with a scruffy beard. I think if they tried that today, Tina Brown would have to flee the country
Jenny - November 30, 2011 | 8:18 pm · Link
Even hard working Jews got fired up and ready to go
http://img46.imageshack.us/img.....anton2.jpg
Darnell From LA - November 30, 2011 | 8:26 pm · Link
Regarding Hillary, in spite of the myriad racist dog whistles employed by her campaign during the primaries, in spite of the loathsome toad Mark Penn being the head of her campaign, in spite of her voting for the Iraq War, in spite of her husband’s administration gutting welfare, signing DOMA and DADT into law, and declaring that “the era of big government is over”, and employing Dick Morris, David Gergen, and Lawrence Summers as their most senior advisors, in spite of all of this, I refuse to believe that Hillary Clinton wouldn’t have been “liberal Jesus” if she had been elected.
So say we all.
JGabriel - November 30, 2011 | 8:30 pm · Link
I think there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the word “Freewill” in that church. Definitely falls into the category of “I do not think that word means what you think it means.”
You wouldn’t think a “Freewill” church meant the right to stomp all over other people’s free will.
[Tilts head to side, thoughtful pause.]
Maybe they’re libertarians.
.
Mnemosyne - November 30, 2011 | 8:30 pm · Link
For the life of me, I can’t remember who said it (and I can’t Google ‘cause I’m at work) but someone pointed out that the last bastion of segregation is in churches. It’s vanishingly rare to have integrated churches even today.
Unabogie - November 30, 2011 | 8:31 pm · Link
Every kid I know has friends of every color. The Teabaggers hold on the psyche of this country is slipping and one day we’ll look back on the first black president like we do on Jackie Robinson. We’ll say “damn, that was racist!”
Zandar - November 30, 2011 | 8:31 pm · Link
And living in said backwater shithole state of Kentucky, and being a mixed-race individual, there are counties in Eastern KY that I would not set foot in.
Pike County? Real damn high on that list.
arguingwithsignposts - November 30, 2011 | 8:35 pm · Link
@Mnemosyne:
Mnemosyne - November 30, 2011 | 8:36 pm · Link
@JGabriel:
Again with things I remember reading but can’t remember where, I think the Freewill Baptist sect are sometimes derisively known as “Footwashing Baptists” since one of their big things is re-enacting Jesus’ foot-washing at Easter.
I remember them doing it a few times at my Catholic church, but apparently it’s a big thing with Freewill Baptists (or used to be, anyway).
Odie Hugh Manatee - November 30, 2011 | 8:37 pm · Link
@arguingwithsignposts:
Nope. Their Jeebus was a shiny white dude with bright blue eyes and non-hippy style long light brown hair.
Truly.
arguingwithsignposts - November 30, 2011 | 8:41 pm · Link
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Yes, the Robert Powell Soteriology.
JGabriel - November 30, 2011 | 8:41 pm · Link
@arguingwithsignposts:
No. They’re usually surprised to find out he was Jewish.
This episode of SATSQ brought to you by: Freewill.
.
arguingwithsignposts - November 30, 2011 | 8:42 pm · Link
@Mnemosyne: Freewill (and Independent) Baptists are people who think the Southern Baptists are liberals.
Darnell From LA - November 30, 2011 | 8:43 pm · Link
@JGabriel: I hate to bring up the treasure trove of horror that is “The Good Book”, but….
25:6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
25:7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
25:8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
I’m sure if you really cornered the church folk on their actions they would justify them with a whole host of biblical verses like these. And frankly, solid biblical grounds. Moral grounds? Nope. Biblical grounds? Yep.
Linda Featheringill - November 30, 2011 | 8:43 pm · Link
This is a Freewill Baptist Church. That means it is not affiliated with a national organization like Southern Baptists or something. These little dinky churches can be strange because the members are too eccentric to fit in with the larger sects.
And their theology is often very “individual” too.
If the mixed race couple in question wish to go to church, they probably should try a place more mainstream, like Methodist or Church of Christ or even a Southern Baptist.
ETA: There are many other denominations, of course. I mentioned these three because they are usually represented all across the south, even in tiny little towns and villages.
gnomedad - November 30, 2011 | 8:43 pm · Link
Kind of an ironic name, really. Are there Determinist Baptist Churches?
arguingwithsignposts - November 30, 2011 | 8:47 pm · Link
@Linda Featheringill:
Not necessarily. this most likely goes back to predestination.
jeff - November 30, 2011 | 8:48 pm · Link
John, you’re good people. Or, John, you’re a mensch.
The Spy Who Loved Me - November 30, 2011 | 8:50 pm · Link
I guess Cole has forgotten that he lives in a state as full of backwater shitholes as Kentucky. Why even post about this? Does anyone really care what some podunk tiny church anywhere does? It’s like carping on the crazy Phelps family about the membership makeup of their “church”. Seriously, given its size, this church isn’t even a pimple on the ass of a gnat.
Marc - November 30, 2011 | 8:52 pm · Link
Most of this post is truth, but:
I have to say, if you’re “not racist,” but you’re thinking and talking and voting the same way those other, racist folk are… what’s the fucking difference?
“I’m not racist, but I’m doing this because I’m afraid of OTHER people’s racism.” Hey, at least the open racist has the honesty of his convictions.
Is it far enough past the 2008 primaries that I can say I always thought the biggest source of John Edwards’ appeal was with voters who were too afraid of “other people’s” racism and sexism to vote for the black guy or the woman? Yeah, probably. Thank god that turned out the way it did.
Karen - November 30, 2011 | 8:59 pm · Link
@cathyx:
And “Jewesses”
Darnell From LA - November 30, 2011 | 9:00 pm · Link
@Jenny: I’m sure Chris Matthews will say he just can’t connect with those hard working white people.
Speaking of pundits with abnormaly large heads of an avian variety, remember when Tweety Matthews was apparently so impressed by President Obama’s 2010 State of The Union speech that he said he “forgot he (Obama) was black for an hour” on national TV?
Ahhhh, good times. But how will he connect with the hard working whites? I dunno, Chris. I dunno…
Karen - November 30, 2011 | 9:02 pm · Link
@Unabogie:
I don’t know how old you are but I’m 46 and I doubt it will be in my lifetime.
Karen - November 30, 2011 | 9:04 pm · Link
@Jenny:
Did you know that the head of the RNC is offering $100 to anyone who can provide a picture of Bob Casey with President Obama?
Darnell From LA - November 30, 2011 | 9:35 pm · Link
@Karen: The media is trying to sell the “Obama is doooooomed in Pennsyvania” meme to anyone who will buy it. Why? When the best the GOP’s “most electable” candidate (Romney) can do at present is TIE the Prez in the state? And with Obama beating Gingrich in PA by 6%?
Anything to keep the “close race” narrative alive.
Cacti - November 30, 2011 | 9:54 pm · Link
Well that’s one way to look at it.
Another way would be that it was a dog whistle to voters who are racist.
“Hard-working whites” as opposed to ____ non-whites.
Who wants to fill in the blank?
Omnes Omnibus - November 30, 2011 | 10:05 pm · Link
@JGabriel: What?! You’re Jewish? Love your nails.
Omnes Omnibus - November 30, 2011 | 10:11 pm · Link
@Karen: No bashing, just using the term in all innocence because she is a muslimah and has no idea that it might be fraught with years of innuendo. I haven’t seen the term used since I read Ivanhoe where even as an eleven year old I knew Ivanhoe picked the wrong girl.
PhoenixRising - November 30, 2011 | 10:33 pm · Link
@Zandar: No worries, my man! My 5 year old already integrated the nearest Sprawl Mart to this particular Pike County shit hole, 7 years ago this week.
Right after that I explained to my sister that god love the NHS, she was sure as hell getting out of southeast KY as soon as her loan repayment came through. Yes, even these people need doctors, but there is a number of times you tell an expectant dad to take his buck knife back to the truck because we don’t allow any weapons in the clinic that makes me nervous.
I have never seen little children that filthy getting out of pickups that clean, dragged along by mothers that doped up. And my people come from Appalachia. It takes a lot to shock me in the irresponsible ig’nant white trash department, but south of Prestonburg, all bets are off.
ruemara - November 30, 2011 | 10:35 pm · Link
I think that was when I made my choice to not support Hillary for Prez. I have good hearing. Dog whistles are audible.
ChrisNYC - November 30, 2011 | 10:48 pm · Link
@Mnemosyne: Strangely enough I googled and it was an Episcopal minister named James PIKE. (Pike County. Ha ha God/the universe/whatever has a huge sense of humor.)
kay - November 30, 2011 | 11:38 pm · Link
John is cursing at me and I’m telling Ruth Marcus.
cokane - November 30, 2011 | 11:40 pm · Link
APPALACHIA
MikeJ - December 1, 2011 | 12:07 am · Link
@ChrisNYC:
Sadly he was in a motorized wheelchair and had to communicate through a series of beeps. /startrek geek
Ben - December 1, 2011 | 12:27 am · Link
@Omnes Omnibus:
You’re a gleaming model XQJ-37 nuclear powered Pan-Sexual Roto-Plooker?
pseudonymous in nc - December 1, 2011 | 12:35 am · Link
I wasn’t far from Pike County not long ago, visiting the Cumberland Gap. One of the poorest parts of the US, and it fucking well shows. Utterly abandoned. Main agricultural product? Illegally grown weed.
And that’s probably counting the vote of Whiskers T. Williams, the cat who shows up sometimes on Sundays, who is listed as a member to ensure the church maintains its tax-exempt status. There are a lot of odd microchurches in Appalachia: I saw one on Hwy 25 just on the Tennessee side with a huge-fuckoff “REPENT” sign, but the church itself was a shack. Snake-handling country.
It was then that I had a spat with Digby, who, after she’d made several posts earlier in the year correctly noting that many of those ‘legacy Democrats’ in Appalachia were basically Republicans, wasn’t prepared to admit that Hillary was making a politically fucked-up dogwhistle appeal for their votes.
TenguPhule - December 1, 2011 | 12:49 am · Link
I thought that was the entire state, you mean to say there are worse places there?!
Caz - December 1, 2011 | 1:50 am · Link
Shouldn’t the church be allowed to prohibit people who don’t hold their values? If interracial marriage violates their religious values, then they should deny them membership. If you don’t like it, then don’t go to that church, simple as that.
Why don’t you write about the history that provided the impetus for the 80’s rap group NWA. Just as outrageous, but equally lawful.
You can’t force people to have your set of values. Everyone has their own set of values and none are better such that they should be imposed upon all of us.
Live and let live. Worry about your own values and let these people worry about theirs.
pseudonymous in nc - December 1, 2011 | 2:14 am · Link
@Caz:
Uh huh. Except that as a tax-exempt non-profit—churches are presumed 501©(3) until proven otherwise—the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church is getting a free ride on our backs, and with that special privilege comes a few conditions.
There are distinctions between a tax-exempt non-profit with membership rules that go beyond what the law otherwise permits, and a tax-exempt non-profit that violates fundamental public policy. (The Warren Jeffs polygamist forced-marriage church was also presumed tax-exempt; Jeffs’ charges included tax fraud.)
That’s why Bob Jones U got kicked in the nuts by SCOTUS when the IRS pulled its tax-exempt status on account of its ban on interracial dating.
AxelFoley - December 1, 2011 | 5:39 am · Link
@El Cid:
Only if ABL had posted it.
AA+ Bonds - December 1, 2011 | 5:39 am · Link
That’s the thing about free will, isn’t it? You can choose to go to Hell. We just don’t have to help you pay for it with tax breaks.
AA+ Bonds - December 1, 2011 | 5:43 am · Link
WHITE AMERICAN PROTESTANTS. – _ -
Pococurante - December 1, 2011 | 8:55 am · Link
I was born in Pike County – I remember my grandfather bragging to my six year old self then that in Pikeville they always “ran the n*rs before sunset” and beat the crap out of anyone they found.
So yeah I’m not surprised – just because the ran a highway through that morass of backwardness doesn’t mean the uphill folks changed.
Linda Featheringill - December 1, 2011 | 9:52 am · Link
@Pococurante:
I can sympathize. I was raised to be a racist pig. That’s just one more burden for me to carry.
Jim, Foolish Literalist - December 1, 2011 | 10:17 am · Link
The PUMA bat signal must be broken.
NCSteve - December 1, 2011 | 11:56 am · Link
John? Come on, you’re from West by-God Virginia. You know full well what it means when the words “freewill,”Baptist” and “Pike County, Kentucky” mean when they’re in close proximity. It means “We’re Bugshit Crazy!”
Paul in KY - December 2, 2011 | 9:31 am · Link
@arguingwithsignposts: You also have ‘Old Regular Baptists’ that are even further to the right of the ‘Freewill’ versions.
Paul in KY - December 2, 2011 | 9:36 am · Link
@Pococurante: My father was born in Pike County. He’s sorta glad about WW II, because it helped him get the Hell out of there.